Newsela Week 7

         This week I checked out Newsela.  Newsela is a database which is mostly subscription based where students can read and engage in nonfiction texts.  The articles range from giant pandas to the history of popsicles.  Students are sure to find something that interests them on this platform.  The content is updated daily so it is very relevant.  Teachers can assign students to read various articles based on their reading levels or the state standards they are teaching.  Therefore, it is very customizable.  Teachers can also track students' progress and assess their learning based on the quizzes and writing prompts at the end of each article.  The prompts are also customizable, but the quizzes are not. Newsela also offers many of its articles in Spanish which makes it a fantastic resource for ELL learners.  The downside to Newsela is that many of the articles are now behind a paid firewall and the subscription is quite expensive.     

        Newsela can be used in a group setting where students can read an article together and discuss their thoughts on an article or topic.  Newsela is a great resource for inquiry-based learning as they can start asking questions based on a topic that they read about.  Students can create questions and use that as a jumping off point in a research project.  It also can be used to teach students how to read nonfiction texts vs. fiction texts.  Another way to use Newsela is to practice note taking skills where students need to read an article and jot down key takeaways instead of copying entire sentences from an article.   

         The fact that Newsela is a subscription service might be a deterrent for many schools.  If schools are already paying for an expensive database, they might not want to pay for another platform.  However, the fact that you can monitor students' progress is a huge benefit compared to having students read articles from a database such as Gale.  I also see the value in customizing the texts based on their reading level or skill the teacher is assessing. There are databases that can get the same results or even some free resources. However, if it is in your budget, it can be a great addition to a classroom or library media center.